Summer heat is giving way to pleasant, cool autumn breeze.

September marks a new academic year.

The campus expects its new members and is ready to embrace them.

And new students are expecting joyfully their new journey.

On September 2, Yenching Academy of Peking University happily received its Cohort 2024 from all over the world, who will have new experience here at the Academy and in China by completing the registration procedures.

Orientation Session

On the morning of September 3, the 100-plus new YCA Scholars attended the orientation session held at the lecture hall of Second Gymnasium.

YCA Associate Dean Brent Haas delivered the opening speech, welcoming the new Cohort 2024. This year, the Academy have enrolled students from three new countries. Associate Dean Haas introduced to the students the Academy’s leadership and faculty. He also encouraged our new Scholars to find new ways for cooperation, to address challenges and grow up together in friendship.

YCA Associate Dean Fan Shiming introduced the Academy’s master program for China Studies, including the Academy’s mission and vision, tracks, source countries of our international students, and international exchange programs.

Director of Graduate Studies Lu Yang gave a brief introduction of China’s higher education system and the Academy’s academic affairs, such as talent cultivation, curriculum, and mentorship. Prof Lu laid emphasis on the code of academic integrity.

YCA Assistant Dean Chen Changwei talked about the Academy’s student affairs, including campus life, leadership programs, extracurricular activities, and career development. Chen explained what the class means to students and teachers and highlighted that all the Scholars should follow the Academy’s rules and regulations.

Academic affairs briefing

The Academy held an academic affairs briefing on the evening of September 3. Fan Meiwen laoshi, Head of Curriculum and Scholarship gave details of the Academy’s scholarships and exchange programs, including scholarship types, requirements and selection criteria, as well how to apply for a YCA-partner university under the exchange programs. Fan laoshi also gave tips for study and life during an exchange sojourn. Du Tao laoshi, Deputy Head of Curriculum and Scholarship made a thorough introduction of the Academy’s program setup, course requirements, academic resources, and how to select courses on different platforms. Du laoshi explained what is and how to make “good selection of courses” through specific examples and answered program-related questions. Wang Rong laoshi, Head of Degree and Student Status clarified the Academy’s regulations on student status, dissertation and degree-awarding, and mentorship, including the mentor’s responsibilities, the student-mentor communication, and the mentor’s role in student development.

After the briefing, our 20 teaching assistants (TA) shared their learning experience by tracks at the Academy, helping the first-year Scholars get prepared for the coming academic year.

Class meeting

Our newcomers met at their first class meetings on the morning of September 5. The class advisor talked about what “class” and “class advisor” are at the Academy and what the study and life would look like in a multicultural program like the Academy’s China Studies program. Our class advisors expected to see all the students take part in the activities and together paint a scroll of brilliant memories about the Academy. In addition, class advisors elaborated on the functions of the Academy’s offices, on the PKU rules and regulations, and on safety issues. Our Residential Assistants (RA) brought interesting ice-breaking games, in which our new students got familiar with each other.

My China story

On the afternoon of September 5, Associate Dean Brent Haas gave a lecture “My Chinese learning”. Starting from his own experience with and in China, as well as his Chinese learning since the university days, Haas prepared suggestions for students whose Chinese proficiencies are different. Drawing upon his own learning experience from university Chinese classes, Princeton in Beijing, and IUP Chinese-learning programs, he gave first priority to correct pronunciation for beginners, and recommended pre-class preparation, so that they could have more focused on-class learning to solve specific problems. Associate Dean Haas also recommended multisensory integration in Chinese learning; that is, to immerse oneself in the fun of Chinese learning through reading, listening, speaking, and copying and writing. He laid importance on extracurricular resources, too, such as communication with the language partner, watching Chinese news, and reading concentration-related books and articles in Chinese, to get a fuller Chinese learning experience. Haas reminded our students of difficulties in learning Chinese and told them never to give up, because all the pains they take will be rewarded with breakthroughs and progress.

Meeting the mentors

On the afternoon of September 5, Cohort 2024 met their mentors at Jingyuan Courtyard 4. The 22 teachers invited to the meeting would be academic mentors for Cohort 2024, providing guidance and help for students in academic and research development. The meeting had four subgroups, including Politics and International Relations, Law and Society, Economics and Management, and Literature, History and Philosophy. The students raised questions on how to select research topics. The teachers called students to conduct self-driven research centering on the topics that interest them and laid stress on the importance of putting forth academically valuable research questions. The teachers recommended that our students find what interest them most through field study and encouraged timely communication.

Campus safety and health

On the evening of September 5, Cohort 2023 and Cohort 2024 attended the “Consent and Boundaries” workshop at Second Gymnasium and learnt about first-aid skills. Dr Michelle Lu-Ferguson, President of Ferguson Health; Lorraine Le, trainer from Ferguson Health; and Wu Haofeng, Director of Sinoaid Health Promotion Center delved into related issues from their professional perspectives. The students learnt about the code of conduct of the University and Academy, to build campus safety, harmony, and mutual respect. Director Wu gave tips for basic first-aid skills.

PKU opening ceremony

On the morning of September 6, Peking University held the opening ceremony for the academic year 2024–25 at the May Fourth Stadium. Both Chinese and international Yenching Scholars of Cohort 2024 attended the ceremony, embarking on their new journey at Peking University in the melody.

Library tour

On the morning of September 6, librarians introduced the academic resources of PKU Library and its YCA Branch and how to get access to the resources, which would facilitate the Scholars’ academic life in the coming years. Fu Juzheng laoshi from PKU Library’s Collaborative Service Center gave our Scholars a guided tour of the university library.

First class at YCA

On the afternoon of September 6, our Scholars met at the lecture hall of Second Gymnasium and sat on the first class at YCA given by Dean Dong Qiang. In his lecture, Prof Dong spread a scroll of four seasons in traditional Chinese poems and calligraphy, demonstrating the wisdom and philosophy of life, nature and universe in the Chinese civilization. He hoped that our Scholars would grasp and cherish opportunities and try their best during their years at the Academy.

Welcome reception

On the evening of September 6, the GSU Executive Committee held a welcome reception at Jingyuan Courtyard 3. On the reception, the first-year Scholars got to know each other better and grew closer in self-introduction, talent show and ice-breaking games. Also, they began to forge a sense of belonging as YCAers.

A touch on Chinese culture

On the afternoon of September 13, Dean Dong Qiang, Associate Deans Fan Shiming and Brent Haas joined our Yenching Scholars at Shaoyuan, witnessing the opening of the refurbished activity room. The teachers and students celebrated the Mid-Autumn Day, tasting mooncakes and exchanging festival gifts. Dean Dong wrote a calligraphic scroll “Hua Hao Yue Yuan” (literally meaning “full blossoms under the full moon”), giving the festive event an elegance of culture.

Afterwards, Associate Brent Haas threw out a tea party themed with “Walking into Beijing”, sharing his two decades’ life and experience in the city. He gave tips for many hot spots in Beijing, such as blocks, hutong, and cultural venues, so that our Scholars would better adapt to their new life in Beijing.

After the tea party, our RAs led the students to immerse themselves in the “labyrinth” of hutongs. They became “treasure-hunters” in the Houhai and adjacent areas, to explore and “dig out” the city’s archaic charms in its modern cityscape fabrics.

Go! Cohort 2024!

The orientation week marked the beginning of a two-year journey at YCA for Cohort 2024. Embarking on the new trip, they may have both joys and difficulties in life and study; however, we believe that they will keep on and forge a brilliant future. Go! Cohort 2024!